Pencil-sharpener



`(Nolaaodel.)

PENCIL SHARPBNBR. v No. 370,940. Y Patented Oct. 4, 1887.

M. PETERS. PhumvLmogr-aphqr. wn hingmn, nc.

UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR A. GAY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PENCIL-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,940, dated October 4, 1887.

Application filed July S, 1887. Serial N o. 243,778.

`T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR A. GAY, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil- Sharpeners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,.clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

Thepresent invention relates particularly to that class of pencil-Sharpeners used for sharpening slate-pencils, although it may be applied with good results to sharpeners for any kind of pencil.

The invention has for its object to improve the construction, reduce the cost, and render the Sharpener much more efcient in use than the ordinary Sharpener; and to this end it consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view ofthe Sharpener constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.,2 is a sectional view of the same. plan view with the casing removed. Fig. 4 is a section of the casing alone. Fig. 5 is a view of the broad or double blade.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The letter A indicates the base-piece, eitherl having slots or grooves cut therein for the accommodation of the blades D; or said basepiece may be cast directly around said blades, as will be readily understood.4 For the sake of lightness this base is hollowed out in the center, and is preferably provided with a recess, ra, around its periphery, though this may be dispensed with, if desired, and a shoulder formed thereon, against which the casing fits, and the outer rim, d, being corrugated to prevent the device slipping in the hand of the user.

The blades or cutters D are of such width that their backs will be flush with the periphery of the central portion of the base A and abut against the casing C when placed therein.l

This casing C, preferably made of thin sheet metal, is formed with a central aperture at the Fig. 3 is a top (No model.)

top, the edge being turned in to form a flange, d. The backs of the blades or cutters are so formed as to fit snugly within the casing and abut against it sufficiently to be supported by it. They preferably extend quite or nearly up to the flange d around the central aperture, at which point the cuttingedge lcommences and extends downward to the point where all the blades meet, the length of this cuttingedge of course determining the length of the pencil-point. Two of the blades, preferably opposite each other, are made somewhat wider than the others, and these two meeting at the center will sharpen the very tip of the pencil, and at the same time these blades serve as a stop for the other blades, causing them to center properly, as shown'clearly in Fig. 3. These two central blades may be made separate, if desired, but are preferably made in one piece, to lessen the number of parts and increase the stability of the whole device, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be observed that the grooves or slots in the base-piece extend straight across from side to side thereof, rendering the manufacture very much easierv than heretofore.

When the casing is fitted on over the blades, its lower edge lits snugly down into the recess a in the base in the construction shown, so as to prevent the escape of dust, &c., though, as

before stated, a plain shoulder may be formed, against which the casing rests, and in the present instance the casing is preferably held 'in position by friction alone, although it is obvious that 'screw-threads or other fastenings may be employed; or, instead, the casing, if desired, may be secured rigidly to the base by solder or other fastening device.

In using the device the pencil is inserted through the Central aperture and turned as in the ordinary Sharpener. If the arrangement of the removable casing is employed, the dust, chips, Snc., may be retained in the casing and removed by taking off the casing; but if the casing is secured to the base permanently other means maybe provided for their removal--as perforations in the casing.

It is obvious that the form of the base-piece may be varied-for instance, so as to fit on the end of a pencil or elongated to afford a better grip for the hand of the user. The blades may be arranged or bent at any angle, so as to IOO present a more oblique cutting-edge, which may be found desirable when intended for sharpening lead-pencils.

It is also obvious that the blades may be more or less in number than as shown, and that, if desired, some of them may be made without cutting-edges, to act simply as guides.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a pencil-Sharpener having the series of blades and base-piece, andacasing therefor, against which said blades abut, extending up over the ends thereof, and having the relatively small central aperture, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a pencil-Sharpener having the series of blades supported in transverse grooves in the base-piece, and a casing against which said blades abut, eX- tending up over the ends thereof, having the relatively small central aperture and the in wardly-projecting ange around said aperture, substantially as described.

3. As a new article of manufacture,a pencil- Sharpener provided with a series of blades and a base-piece having the annular groove and transverse slots for the cutters, and a casing the lower edge of which ts into said groove in the base-piece, substantially as described.

4. As a new article of manufacture,a pencil- Sharpener provided with the series of blades and base-piece having the annular groove and corrugated ilange, and a casing the lower edge of which fits into said groove in the base-piece, as set forth.

5. As a new article of mannfacture,a pencil- Sharpener provided with the base-piece and casing, as described, and the series of radial blades, two of which meet in the center and serve as a Sharpener for the tip of the pencil and as a stop against which the other blades abut, Substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. As a new article of manufacture,a pencilsharpener provided with the base-piece and casing, as described, and the series of radial blades, two of which are formed in one piece, serving as a Sharpener for the tip ofthe pencil and a stop against which the other blades abut, substantially as described.

7. As a new article of manufacture,a pencilsharpener provided with the casing and series of radial blades, the base-piece having grooves or slots therein extending straight across from side to side thereof through the center,and in which said blades are mounted, substantially as described.

8. In a pencil-sharpener such as described, the combination, with the transversely-slotted base and the casing fitted thereto, of the series of blades, two of said blades serving as stops against which the remaining blades abut, substantially as described.

9. The combination, in a pencil-Sharpener such as described, of the transversely-slotted base, the blades fitted therein,and the removable casing surrounding the blades and fitted to the base, substantially as described.

10. vAs a new article of manufacture, apencil-Sharpener having the series of blades, the base-piece in which the blades are secured,and a removable casing against which said blades abut, extending up over the ends thereof, having the relatively small central aperture, substantially as described.

11. In a pencil-Sharpener such as described, the combination, with the base having the blades secured therein and roughened or corrugated on its periphery, of the casing secured to said base above said corrugated portion, substantially as described.

EDGAR A. GAY.

Witnesses:

H. C. PHILLIPS, C. A. BURT. 

